Spring is finally here and there’s lots of kid-friendly fun to be had in NJ. Look for local events in your county below, and make sure to check out the best places to take your preschoolers and free things to do this month, too.
Atlantic County
Saturday, April 6
Storybook Land Opening Day
Where: Storybook Land, Egg Harbor Twp.
Price: $25.50/online, $28.50/door, free/ages 2 and under
Deets: Get ready to hit classic rides like Out On A Limb, Bubbles the Coaster, the Rockin’ Tug and more on opening day.
Bergen County
Saturday, April 6
Paramus Easter Egg Hunt
Where: Recreation Building, Paramus
Price: Free
Deets: Bring your baskets for this annual outdoor hunt for the Easter Bunny’s eggs.
Improv Comedy
Where: Fair Lawn Jewish Center, Fair Lawn
Price: $45
Deets: Improv group Howdy Stranger, the champions of the 2019 NYC Tournament of Improvisers, will bring their interactive show to Fair Lawn, which will be inspired by audience suggestions.
Sunday, April 7
5th Annual Food Truck and Arts Festival
Where: Academy of the Holy Angels, Demarest
Price: $5
Deets: Dig into food trucks serving up Ben and Jerry’s, empanadas, waffles, cannolis and more while listening to live music and knowing your money’s going to a good cause (AHA’s performance and fine arts, plus college scholarships).
Burlington County
Ongoing
Egg Hunt Hayrides
Where: Johnson’s Corner Farm, Medford
Price: $9/egg hunting rider, $4/50/non-egg hunting rider
Deets: Jump on a hayride before searching for precious eggs filled with various goodies. After, hit the Discovery Barnyard for more animal fun.
Camden County
Sunday, April 7
F.I.S.H. Night
Where: Adventure Aquarium, Camden
Price: $21.99
Deets: Fish lovers with special needs can visit the aquarium with lighting and sound accommodations that’ll help them have a stress-free, fun experience.
Ongoing
Berlin Farmers Market
Where: Berlin Farmers Market, Berlin
Price: Free admission
Deets: Every Saturday and Sunday, stop by to check out wares from more than 85 stores including Amish baked goods, furniture, jewelry, footwear, antiques, collectibles and more.
Cape May County
Ongoing
Crafts with Critters
Where: Cape May County Park Zoo, Cape May Court House
Price: $5/craft
Deets: Ages 3-12 can race to the Discovery Outpost, where they can meet a different ambassador animal every week and create a craft. Every Sunday.
Cumberland County
Saturday, April 6
Wheaton Springs 2019
Where: 1501 Glasstown Rd., Millville
Price: Free
Deets: Take a guided tour of the new Museum of American Glass exhibit, make glass fused magnets, try out paper making or ceramic wheel-throwing, special glass blowing demos and more.
Essex County
Thursday, April 4
Bird Walk
Where: Greenwood Gardens, Short Hills
Price: $15/non-members, $10/members
Deets: Follow NJ Audubon Naturalist Dave Hall into the gardens for a birding tour that’ll take a peek at habitats within the forest, conifer stands, ponds, meadows and other places within South Mountain Reservation. Registration required.
Sunday, April 7
Tours of the Crane House & Historic YWCA
Where: Crane House & Historic YWCA, Montclair
Price: $6
Deets: From the Declaration of Independence to the Civil War and beyond, pull back the curtains and take a tour of history through preserved objects and properties.
The Jungle Book
Where: SOPAC, South Orange
Price: $20
Deets: Return to the jungle for a musical adventure with Mowgli and his friends, Bagheera the black panther and Baloo the bear, plus his foe Shere Khan, the tiger.
Ongoing
GRAMMY Museum Experience
Where: Prudential Center, Newark
Price: $10
Deets: In collaboration with the Estate of Whitney Houston, the GRAMMY Museum is bringing the legendary singer’s life to its storied halls. Check out hands-on exhibits, outfits and treasures from the singer’s (and many other artists’) career and life. Ends June 30.
Gloucester County
Saturday, April 6
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
Where: Deptford Mall, Deptford Twp.
Price: $10
Deets: Spend a morning with the Easter Bunny, listening to live entertainment and digging into a scrumptious breakfast surrounded by your fam’s favorite Easter treat: PEEPS! There’ll be plenty of PEEPS products in addition to the chick mascot.
Hudson County
Friday-Sunday, April 5-7
Hoboken Literary Weekend
Where: Little City Books, Hoboken
Price: Varies
Deets: Take the kids to meet picture book illustrators and authors, like Nancy Carpenter (Thomas Jefferson and the Mammoth Hunt), Mahogany L. Browne (Black Girl Magic: A Poem) and Soman Chainani (School for Good and Evil).
Saturday, April 6
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny & Egg Hunt
Where: Secaucus High School Dining Hall, Secaucus
Price: $8/door, $5/pre-sale tickets
Deets: Bring an empty stomach for the breakfast buffet, then grab a sweet family photo with the Easter Bunny. The kids can play games and work on arts and crafts, then hit the town egg hunt.
Ongoing
Storytime
Where: Fire Department Museum, Hoboken
Price: Free
Deets: Staff and guest readers will read stories and sing songs about living in the city on the first Sunday of each month. After, take a tour of the museum. Reservations not required.
The Lion Guard Exhibit
Where: Liberty Science Center, Jersey City
Price: Included with admission
Deets: Mini scientists ages 2-8 can hit ecology-themed exhibitions that explore the African Savanna, teach kids about animals in the Pride Lands and encourage interactive play through missions and trainings in the Lion Guard’s secret space. Ends September 8.
Hunterdon County
Saturday, April 6
Cottontail Limited
Where: Ringoes Station, Ringoes
Price: $16/ages 12 and up, $12/ages 3-11
Deets: The kids can hit an egg hunt at the station (limit of four eggs per kid), meet the Easter Bunny and snap a photo. Once they climb aboard, they’ll get goodies from the Bunny’s helpers and listen to a story.
Mercer County
Saturday-Sunday, April 6-7
Trenton Punk Rock Flea Market: Spring Fling!
Where: Roebling Wire Works, Trenton
Price: $5, free/ages 10 and under
Deets: Looking for vintage clothing, antiques, collectibles and other treasures? More than 200 vendors from 20 states will gather, in addition to food trucks, a beer garden, tattoo artist and live music, to bring you all the goods in one place.
Ongoing
Sunday Music Series
Where: Terhune Orchards, Princeton
Price: Free admission
Deets: Fill your glass with Terhune vino, munch on light fare and kick back in the new wine barn for live music from local artists, ranging from classic rock to jazz to blues. Every Sunday through May 26.
Objects Count: A Decade of Collecting
Where: New Jersey State Museum, Trenton
Price: Free
Deets: Take a look at objects that collectors have preserved and displayed over the years. See a caribou antler from Ice Age-era New Jersey, a 1930s flight suit from a South Jersey female pilot, Native American projectiles and more. Every Tuesday-Sunday through April 28.
Jersey Crocs Rule!
Where: State Museum, Trenton
Price: Free
Deets: Check out the evolutionary history of crocodiles at the State Museum in Trenton, where you can check out preserved tracks, fossils and skull reconstructions dating back 200 million years, plus see recent discoveries and specimens that once lived in NJ. Ends September 8.
Middlesex County
Sunday, April 7
Art Together
Where: Zimmerli Art Museum, New Brunswick
Price: Free
Deets: Stop by Rutgers New Brunswick’s Zimmerli Art Museum to work on arts and crafts projects alongside your kids after taking a tour of the gallery for some inspiration.
Ongoing
Read and Play
Where: New Brunswick Free Public Library, New Brunswick
Price: Free
Deets: Every Wednesday, ages 4 and under can gather for storytime and free play. Ends April 24.
Monmouth County
Sunday, April 7
Red Bank Street Fair and Craft Show
Where: Downtown Red Bank, Red Bank
Price: Free admission
Deets: Hit downtown Red Bank for the artists, crafters and vendors. Stick around for the rides, games, live band, martial arts and delicious food.
Morris County
Friday, April 5
Brady Rymer in Concert
Where: Celebrate the Children School, Denville
Price: Free
Deets: This three-time GRAMMY nominee and his Little Band That Could are putting on a show for Autism Awareness Month, plus previewing songs from their next album.
Sunday, April 7
Whippany Railway Museum’s 27th Annual Easter Bunny Express
Where: Whippany Railway Museum, Whippany
Price: $17/adults, $12/kids
Deets: Take a 45-minute ride through the Whippanong Trail to meet the Easter Bunny and his helpers. Reservations recommended. You can also hop on the train April 13-14 and 20. 1 to 4 pm at the top of every hour.
PEG + CAT Live!
Where: MPAC, Morristown
Price: $12-25
Deets: Based on the PBS Kids show, this musical features Peg and Cat, who run into a really big dog on their way to mail important letters. They’ll use math, problem solving, words and other skills to solve this dilemma. Shows at 1:30 and 4:30 pm.
Ongoing
Narrative Threads: New Jersey Quilts and Textiles
Where: Museum of Early Trades and Crafts, Madison
Price: Included with admission
Deets: An important part of history, textiles once fueled this country’s industry. This exhibit features pieces from New Jersey textile artists inspired by the past and future. Ends June 9.
Ocean County
Saturday, April 6
An Afternoon of Magic & Illusion: A Sensory Friendly Performance
Where: The Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts, Toms River
Price: $10/kids, $12/adults
Deets: This sensory-friendly magic show brings storytelling, illusions and audience participation to the stage. Children with autism and other developmental and intellectual disabilities are welcome.
Passaic County
Friday, April 5
Amazing Magic
Where: William Paterson University Shea Center, Wayne
Price: $22-25
Deets: Masters of Illusion star Tommy Wind will wow with sleight of hand, dangerous illusions and surprises that’ll keep your kids talking for days.
Saturday-Sunday, April 6-7
8th Annual Spring Model Railroad Show
Where: 575 High Mountain Rd., North Haledon
Price: $6/adults, free/ages 12 and under with an adult
Deets: Intermodal, freight, coal, passenger, steam and diesel trains, oh my! The whole fam can find something they like, from Thomas and Friends to special trains for the kiddos.
Salem County
Ongoing
Hancock House
Where: 485 Locust Island Rd., Hancocks Bridge
Price: Free admission
Deets: From private residence to tavern to museum, this building has a lot of history in its storied walls. Walk through the Hancock House, an important landmark first built in 1675 by a shoemaker.
Somerset County
Friday, April 5
Golden Dragon Acrobats
Where: Theatre at RVCC, Branchburg
Price: $25-35
Deets: The Dragon Acrobats are bringing a mix of acrobatics, dancing, dazzling costumes and music for a spellbinding evening.
Saturday, April 6
Stream Clean Up
Where: Montgomery Park, Belle Mead
Price: Free
Deets: Get into the Earth Day spirit by spending some time cleaning up Pike Brook in Montgomery Veterans Park. Teach the kids a thing or two about conservation and the environment, plus the benefits of volunteering.
Sussex County
Saturday, April 6
The Extraordinary Card Magic of Jason Ladanye
Where: 10 Sparta Ave. N, Sparta
Price: $15
Deets: Check out close-up magic with Jason Ladanye, who’ll show the audience how to beat the odds in Vegas, plus demonstrate cons and cheats people use.
Union County
Sunday, April 7
Pinkalicious: The Musical
Where: Wilkins Theatre, Union
Price: $15
Deets: You are what you eat, and for Pinkalicious, eating too many pink cupcakes puts her in a peculiar predicament. See how this pink-loving cutie reverses her peculiar ailment.
The Symbols and Traditions of Easter
Where: Miller-Cory House Museum, Westfield
Price: $4/ages 13 and up, $3/ages 3-12, free/ages 2 and under
Deets: Take a close look at classic Easter traditions like the use of rabbits and lambs (and the myth of stir-fry marshmallow PEEPS), plus work on a craft and check out an 18th-century open-hearth cooking demo.
Ongoing
Super Saturday Storytimes
Where: Scotch Plains Public Library, Scotch Plains
Price: Free
Deets: Every Saturday at 11 am, gather round for a fun and interactive storytime with a weekly theme. No registration required. Ends in August.
Warren County
Saturday, April 6
Crafts and Drafts Handmade Market
Where: Jersey Girl Brewing, Hackettstown
Price: Free admission
Deets: This brewery does more than combine the Garden State and brews, it’s marketspace pop-up will have 16 local artisans selling homemade items.
New York City
Ongoing
The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter
Where: American Museum of Natural History, NYC
Price: $28/adults, $16.50/ages 2-12
Deets: Fly away with more than 500 live tropical butterflies from North and South America, Africa and Asia. Beauties like swallowtail, large owl and blue morpho butterflies will be fluttering about. Learn about their evolution and life cycles, plus mimicry, diversity and conservation. Ends May 27.
Pennsylvania
Ongoing
America to Zanzibar: Muslim Cultures Near and Far
Where: Please Touch Museum, Philadelphia
Price: Included with admission
Deets: Ages 2-12 can travel to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia to check out trade routes, 3-D replicas of Middle Eastern architecture and mosques, a global marketplace and more. Ends September 2.